mtl008 Chapter 121 The Bloodied and Severely Wounded Swordsman Brings Bad News
Chapter 121 The Bloodied and Severely Wounded Swordsman Brings Bad News
"It wasn't a complete waste of time." Qi Yuan shook his head. "At least they tried and put in the effort. And even if they didn't get the method to build the Five-Colored Altar, it doesn't mean they've completely lost hope. After all, isn't this Path to Immortality just a time tunnel on this site?"
Several people nodded.
"And what about the Yan Kingdom? Who did they send to participate in the negotiations?" Lin Hai asked.
"The Yan Kingdom has been destroyed, and most of their royal family members were killed by the Liang Kingdom's southern army," Qi Yuan said. "However, although the Yan Kingdom has been destroyed, their former officials and people are still alive. These people hate the Tang Kingdom to the bone, and they have been secretly plotting to restore their kingdom. In this negotiation, they brought a man named Yan Xiaojia, who is said to have royal blood from the Yan Kingdom. However, this bloodline dates back five hundred years."
"Yan Xiaojia?" Luo Yifei frowned. "I've never heard of this name before?"
"Back in the Yan Kingdom, he was just an unknown nobody, with no fame. However, he was an outstanding figure among the remnants of the Yan Kingdom, deeply trusted and supported by them. The Yan remnants elected him as their representative in this negotiation because they valued his abilities and influence," Qi Yuan explained.
"It seems this negotiation is truly a mixed bag," Shen Lixi remarked. "Not only are there envoys and deputy envoys from various countries, but also these forces lurking in the shadows."
“Yes, the outcome of this negotiation will directly affect the future landscape and direction,” Qi Yuan said. “The Liao Kingdom also sent a military leader, and you know him, Shen Lixi.”
"Hu Hanhui?" He was the only Liao army general Shen Lixi knew.
“That’s right, it’s him.” Qi Yuan nodded. “Hu Hanhui holds a high position in the Liao Kingdom. Although he is only a general in the Eastern Route Army, he is deeply trusted by the Liao King. The Liao Kingdom sent him to this negotiation to take this opportunity to demonstrate the Liao Kingdom’s military strength.”
"It seems that all the forces involved in this negotiation have come together," Luo Yifei remarked. "However, this is also good. We can take this opportunity to understand the attitudes and positions of all parties and prepare for our next actions."
Qi Yuan nodded. "The one sent by Liang is also a military general."
"Could it be Xu Guan?" Bi Li asked.
“That’s right, it’s Xu Guan, the general of the Southern Route Army of Liang Kingdom,” Qi Yuan said.
"Twenty-six years ago, he sent his army to slaughter the entire royal family of Yan. Now he wants to sit at a negotiating table with Yan Xiaojia. I really can't imagine what this scene will be like," Lin Hai said.
“Yes, it was indeed a dramatic negotiation,” Qi Yuan remarked. “However, this is the norm in political struggles. Now, let’s talk about the Southern Han.”
Qi Yuan sighed as he finished speaking.
"Who is the envoy from the Southern Han?" Luo Yifei asked.
"Let me tell you," Lin Hai said. "I heard the news on my way here. The mastermind is Cao Desheng, the patriarch of the Cao family, and the deputy mastermind is Jiang Zhihuang, the city lord of Sword Immortal City and the second branch of the Sword Immortal Sect."
"Is it the Cao family that sent people to hunt down Qi Yuan?" Luo Yifei asked.
“That’s right, it’s the Cao family.” Lin Hai nodded. “Cao Desheng is the prime minister of Southern Han and also the head of the Cao family. The fact that he came to negotiate in person shows how much Southern Han values these negotiations.”
"What about Jiang Zhihuang? Is he from the Sword Immortal Sect?" Luo Yifei continued to ask.
“Yes, Jiang Zhihuang is the head of the second branch of the Sword Immortal Sect and also the city lord of Sword Immortal City. He has a high reputation in Southern Han, and the Sword Immortal Sect has a great influence there. As the deputy envoy in this negotiation, he should also be representing the position of the Sword Immortal Sect,” Lin Hai explained.
"I wonder how Hua Xi and Qing Wei are doing in Nan Han?" Qi Yuan sighed.
"Don't worry, with Qiao Zhi here, everything will be fine," Bi Li said.
Qi Yuan nodded and continued, "The envoy sent by the Nanzhao Kingdom is their Grand General Murong Yifeng, the External Calculation Officer among the Qingping Officials."
“Murong Yifeng?” Bili said, “I think I’ve heard that name before.”
“He’s a legendary figure in the Nanzhao Kingdom. He’s not only highly skilled in martial arts but also incredibly intelligent. He holds a very high position and wields great power in the Nanzhao Kingdom,” Qi Yuan explained. “The Nanzhao Kingdom sent him to this negotiation to take this opportunity to demonstrate their strength.”
"It seems this negotiation is truly a fierce battle," Luo Yifei remarked.
“Yes, but we don’t need to worry too much,” Qi Yuan said. “We just need to do our own thing and protect our own safety, and leave the rest to Tang Guo.”
Everyone nodded, indicating their agreement with Qi Yuan's view.
"Who did the Tang Kingdom send?" Luo Yifei asked.
"The chief envoy is Guo Qijian, the Minister of Rites, and the deputy envoy is Fan Shoujing, the Vice Minister of War. They are all accompanied by Tang Clan swordsmen," Qi Yuan said.
"Didn't Tang Clan leader Li Chao come?" Luo Yifei asked.
"No." Qi Yuan shook his head.
In the following days, the various delegations began preparations for negotiations. The atmosphere in Lanting County grew increasingly tense, as if a storm was about to break.
Lin Hai and his companions weren't idle either. They spent their days cultivating in the inn, improving their strength. At the same time, they were secretly observing the movements of the various foreign delegations, gathering useful information.
Finally, a few days later, one morning, the delegations from various countries gathered at the county government office in Lanting County to begin the negotiations.
Qi Yuan and his companions stood at a distance, quietly observing the situation at the county government office. The main gate was tightly shut, guarded by two squads of soldiers, heavily armed. The convoys of various foreign delegations arrived one after another, and the envoys disembarked and entered the county government office.
Qi Yuan watched this scene with a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings of emotion and reflection). He knew that the outcome of this negotiation would affect the entire landscape of the martial arts world, and might even trigger a major war. As the representative of the Yan Kingdom, he also bore an important mission.
"I wonder what the situation is like inside?" Luo Yifei asked nervously.
Meanwhile, inside the county government office, a middle-aged man dressed in brocade robes walked to the center of the hall and announced loudly, "Distinguished envoys, welcome to Lanting County for these negotiations. I am Guo Qijian, the Minister of Rites of the Tang Dynasty, and also the chief envoy for these negotiations. Now, I declare the negotiations officially open."
As Guo Qijian finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall immediately became tense. The envoys from various countries began to speak, explaining their positions and demands. For a moment, the hall was filled with the sounds of arguing and debate.
Qi Yuan and his group stood together with thousands of martial arts practitioners and ordinary people in the outer area of the county government office.
Just then, a clear, melodious zither tune suddenly rang out, breaking the noise in the hall. Everyone turned to look and saw a woman dressed in white sitting in a corner of the hall, holding a zither and playing it gracefully.
The music was melodious and beautiful, seemingly possessing a magical power that cleansed and uplifted the soul. Everyone was captivated by the music, ceasing their arguments and listening quietly.
The music continued for a long time until the atmosphere in the hall gradually calmed down. Guo Qijian then spoke again: "Distinguished envoys, we should value harmony and work together to maintain peace and stability in the world. I hope you can put aside your prejudices, treat each other frankly, and work together to come up with a reasonable solution."
As Guo Qijian finished speaking, the envoys from various countries gradually calmed down and began to discuss the matter seriously.
Qi Yuan and his group quietly observed the progress of the negotiations from the outer perimeter. They knew that the outcome of these negotiations would affect the entire world, so they paid close attention.
The negotiations lasted all day, finally concluding as night fell. The first day yielded little progress. The envoys from various countries left the county government office and returned to their respective lodgings.
Qi Yuan and his group returned to the inn and began discussing their next plan.
"It seems that this negotiation did not yield any substantial results," Luo Yifei said.
"Yes, the interests between countries are too complex, and reaching a consensus is not easy," Lin Hai sighed.
.
Just then, a commotion arose below the inn.
"What's going on? Why is it so noisy downstairs?" Luo Yifei asked.
Qi Yuan looked out the window and saw a swordsman covered in blood lying in the hall.
The surrounding crowd was buzzing with discussion, speculating about what had happened to the swordsman.
"Go and see quickly." Qi Yuan and the others immediately went downstairs and walked to the swordsman's side. They saw that he was pale and had a weak breath, clearly suffering from serious injuries.
"Sir, what happened to you?" Qi Yuan crouched down and asked softly.
The swordsman struggled to open his eyes, looked at Qi Yuan, and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something. However, his voice was too weak, and Qi Yuan couldn't hear what he was saying at all.
"Don't rush, tell me slowly," Qi Yuan reassured him.
The swordsman took a deep breath, and with all his might, finally managed to utter a few words: "The battlefield is on the other side of the tunnel. They're all dead."
"His peak ninth rank!" someone suddenly exclaimed.
"Only a Grandmaster can injure someone at the peak of the ninth rank," someone else said.
"How did you survive?" Luo Yifei asked.
"Su An, she saved me." The man breathed his last after saying this.